KARAKA 2010: Select Sale Closes a Stellar Week at Karaka

5 February 2010

The stellar week of selling at Karaka continued right to the end of New Zealand Bloodstock's three-day Select Sale today, with a host of new highlights recorded for this session.

The appeal of Karaka's burgeoning Select Sale - the source of nine individual Group 1 winners last year - was evident as final figures sailed past last year's results. In the final analysis, 438 yearlings were sold for $22,927,500, a massive 35% increase in turnover compared with $17,039,000 for 456 sold last year.

This brings the combined aggregate at this point in the Sales Series to $88,301,000, the second highest aggregate ever recorded at Karaka, with two days of selling still to go.

The most impressive increase was the final sale average, up 40% from $37,366 to $52,346. As with turnover, this is also in excess of the 2009 and 2007 result.

The sale median held steady today at $40,000, up 33% on $30,000 last year.

The final clearance rate settled at 78%, a healthy increase on last year's 74%. To add to that, the Premier Sale clearance rate has edged up to 80% since selling finished on Tuesday evening.

Demonstrating the increased strength at the top of the market, seven yearlings sold for $200,000 or more, compared with just one last year, and 21 yearlings sold for $150,000 or more compared with just five last year (and 26 at 2008's record sale).

The top price of the Select Sale came early today when $250,000 was paid for Lot 947, the Elusive City colt from Generous mare, Bella Mimosa bought by O'Brien Thoroughbreds. Offered by Haunui Farm it is one of�15 yearlings bought by Melbourne trainer, Danny O'Brien, over the last five days at Karaka.

The leading buyer of the Select Sale is prominent New Zealand buyer, David Ellis, with 14 yearlings bought for $792,500. �Ellis's total purchases for the week are�28 lots for $4,167,500

With the top price on Day Two, leading the sires averages was Elusive Quality with four sold for an average of $122,500.

Next on the list was Waikato Stud sire, O'Reilly, with 30 of his 37 entries sold for an average of $87,100. O'Reilly's top price was also $200,000, paid for the colt at Lot 1025 from Westbury Stud by New Zealand Bloodstock as agent.

The leading Select Sale vendor by average is Mark & Denny Baker's Hallmark Stud, with nine of their ten entries sold for an average of $110,667. Hallmark's top price was $170,000 paid for the Pentire colt at Lot 692.

NZB Co-Managing Director Petrea Vela said the impetus from Karaka's spectacular Premier session has flowed through to the past three days.

"When we were selecting for the sale this year we saw a host of yearlings that in years past might have been in Premier now featuring in the Select session so we knew the strength was there. But it has been great to see the buyers still hard at battle for the lots they want.

"The Select Sale is growing year by year in its own right and the results are speaking for themselves. More and more buyers are staying on for this session and the results are reflecting this growing competition.

"We're very happy to see the support the sale has received this week and wish buyers the very best of luck with their purchases. We hope that some of the momentum from this incredible week can flow into our Festival session on Sunday and Monday."

Click here to see any passed lots from the Premier or Select sessions at Karaka. The two-day Festival sale will commence at 11am on Sunday 7th February at Lot 1102.

2010�Select Yearling Sale Statistics

2010 2009
Average $52,346 $37,366
Aggregate $22,927,500 $17,039,000
Lots Catalogued 618 681
Lots Sold 438 456
Clearance Rate 78% 73%
Median $40,000 $30,000
2010 Top Price - Lot 947 B.C Elusive City x Della Mimosa - $250,000
2009 Top Price - Lot 1155 B.C Tale of the Cat x Eyes Light Up - $205,000

Top Lots

Lot Type Breeding Vendor Purchaser Price
947 B.C Elusive City / Della Mimosa HAUNUI FARM� O'BRIEN THOROUGHBREDS (VIC) $250,000
905 B.C Oratorio / Chaleur BELVEDERE FARM COLLETT RACING STABLES (PUKEKOHE) $240,000
644 B.C Ustinov / Reasonably BRIGHTHILL FARM LUCKY OWNERS (NSW) $210,000
988 C.C Show a Heart / Festive Season HAUNUI FARM� MR GARY HENNESSY (MATAMATA) $210,000
540 B.C Elusive City / Midnight Breaker MAARA GRANGE WAIKATO BLOODSTOCK & K LAU (CAMBRIDGE) $200,000
879 B.C Elusive Quality / Blue Quail HAUNUI FARM� PHILL CATALDO BLOODSTOCK (VIC) $200,000
1025 B.C O'Reilly / Golden Sparkle WESTBURY STUD NZB AS AGENT (CAMBRIDGE) $200,000
654 B.C O'Reilly / Riposte HAUNUI FARM NZB AS AGENT (HAMILTON) $190,000
1008 BR.C Zenno Rob Roy / Full of Laughter RICH HILL THOROUGHBREDS MICHAEL WALLACE BLOODSTOCK (VIC) $190,000
1074 B.C O'Reilly / Jan Valachi VALACHI DOWNS MR RS ENGLEBRECHT (NSW) $180,000

Leading Purchasers by Aggregate

Purchaser Bought Aggregate Average Top Price
NZB as agent 30 $1,548,000 $51,600 $200,000
MR DC ELLIS 14 $792,500 $56,607 $130,000
PAUL MORONEY BLOODSTOCK 12 $777,500 $64,792 $160,000
ROGERSON BLOODSTOCK 7 $608,000 $86,857 $140,000
MR GARY HENNESSY 5 $590,000 $118,000 $210,000
JOHN FOOTE BLOODSTOCK PTY LTD 7 $568,000 $81,143 $145,000
BAHEN BLOODSTOCK LTD HKG 7 $564,000 $80,571 $145,000
WAIKATO BLOODSTOCK LTD 5 $464,000 $92,800 $150,000
BC3 THOROUGHBREDS 3 $420,000 $140,000 $160,000
MR DT O'DONNELL 4 $407,000 $101,750 $160,000

Leading Vendors by Aggregate

Vendor Sold Aggregate Average Top Price
HAUNUI FARM� 22 $1,839,500 $83,614 $250,000
WINDSOR PARK STUD� 30 $1,517,000 $50,567 $150,000
RICH HILL THOROUGHBREDS� 17 $1,104,500 $64,971 $190,000
WAIKATO STUD 22 $1,102,500 $50,114 $140,000
WESTBURY STUD 17 $1,091,500 $64,206 $200,000
LITTLE AVONDALE STUD 18 $1,065,500 $55,306 $155,000
HALLMARK STUD� 9 $996,000 $110,667 $170,000
TRELAWNEY STUD� 14 $856,500 $61,179 $150,000
ESKER LODGE� 14 $786,000 $56,143 $145,000
CURRAGHMORE STUD� 11 $665,000 $60,455 $160,000

Leading Vendors by Average (three or more sold)

Vendor Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
HALLMARK STUD LTD 9 $110,667 $996,000 $170,000
VALACHI DOWNS 3 $106,000 $318,000 $180,000
HAUNUI FARM LTD 22 $83,614 $1,839,500 $250,000
MAARA GRANGE 7 $80,714 $565,000 $200,000
LYNDHURST FARM 5 $79,000 $395,000 $100,000
WELLFIELD LODGE 3 $76,667 $230,000 $100,000
MR JW CAMPIN 3 $67,833 $203,500 $82,500
OXFORD THOROUGHBREDS 5 $67,500 $337,500 $150,000
HENLEY PARK 4 $65,000 $260,000 $160,000
RICH HILL THOROUGHBREDS LTD 17 $64,971 $1,104,500 $190,000

Leading Sires by Average (three or more sold)

Sire Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
Elusive Quality 4 $122,500 $490,000 $200,000
O'Reilly 30 $87,100 $2,613,000 $200,000
Bel Esprit 3 $83,333 $250,000 $150,000
Pentire 18 $83,222 $1,498,000 $170,000
Elusive City 12 $79,125 $949,500 $250,000
Golan 6 $72,083 $432,500 $160,000
Snippetson 3 $66,667 $200,000 $90,000
Stratum 3 $66,000 $198,000 $130,000
Don Eduardo 4 $65,000 $260,000 $140,000
Spartacus 6 $63,333 $380,000 $95,000

Leading First Season Sires by Average�(three or more sold)

Sire Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
Darci Brahma 12 $55,292 $663,500 $160,000
Fast 'n' Famous 17 $49,529 $842,000 $120,000
Perfectly Ready 29 $48,948 $1,419,500 $130,000
Lucky Unicorn 16 $34,969 $559,500 $75,000